Massachusetts man convicted of sexually abusing child in Warwick

WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) — A Massachusetts man has been found guilty of multiple counts of child molestation in connection with a series of assaults spanning several years at a Warwick home.

Attorney General Peter Neronha said 32-year-old Joao Soares was found guilty on June 5 of sexually abusing a boy under the age of 14 between 2007 and 2009.

Officials said the victim came forward in 2020 and reported the abuse, which occurred when she was between seven and 10 years old.

According to authorities, Soares was found guilty of seven counts of first-degree child abuse and one count of second-degree child abuse.

“Child abuse changes a child’s life forever and can have lasting effects well into adulthood,” Neronha said in a statement. “I commend the bravery of the victim in this case and her courage to seek justice.”

Soares is being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) pending sentencing, scheduled for August 23.

“These cases are extremely difficult for the families involved and the community at large,” Warwick Police Chief Colonel Bradford Connor said in a statement. “I hope this guilty verdict will aid the ongoing healing process of the victim and her loved ones.”